Let’s look at the two verses: Genesis 1:25 and then 24. We are going to start with the 2nd line of the pair:
Genesis 1:25
“And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
Now this seems pretty straightforward, yes? God made these beasts. The “his” of “his kind” is the beast itself. The beast is being generically referred referring to “his” kind … his category of creature.
The English word “after” is probably not the best way to translate the sentence. Instead of “after”, it would be more clear to say "God made the beasts “by” or even “into” their kinds… their categories. He didn’t just create a chaos of beasts. He created creatures that could be categorized by their kinds.
And these “kinds” are pretty strongly connected to the reproductive process of these beasts. We see this in
Genesis 1:11-12:
“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed,
and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself,
upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind,
and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind:
and God saw that it was good.”
So “kinds” are created from the seed of their parents … not just animals, but trees and grass!
In the video link below, science journalist Peter Hadfield (aka: Potholer) discusses the views of Creationist Kent Hovind, and in particular the existence of a strange situation !
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YOUTUBE VIDEO
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Even creationists acknowledge this situation exists!: there is a population of Alaska rabbits that can breed with Minnesota rabbits… and the Minnesota rabbits can breed with Florida rabbits. But (!!!) … the Alaska rabbits cannot breed with the Florida rabbits!:
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From this we discover the Biblical sense of the word “kind”! There is a “kind” where Alaska and Minnesota rabbits can “bring forth”. And there is a “kind” where Minnesota rabbits and Florida rabbits can “bring forth”. So that appears to mean they are all one kind. But this is not so. If the Florida and Alaska rabbits can no longer “bring forth” - - it means those two rabbits are not of the same kind! And it leads one to conclude that the Minnesota rabbit is the one that fits into a special category - - it is a Greater Kind … a Kind of rabbit that embraces two other kinds. This is made possible by all 3 kinds of rabbits having a shared descent. But clearly the Alaska and Florida rabbits are no longer the “same kind”. They cannot “bring forth” creatures of “their kind”.
So… that’s one mystery out of the way. Let us proceed to the glorious finale!
Genesis 1:24 says:
“And God said,
Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind,
cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”
Isn’t that odd? God said let the Earth bring forth the living creature, to reproduce it’s kind.
This is in fact what God says before verse 25 says that God is creating these animals.
How can both things be true? What? When God says the clouds bring the rain, and that God makes the rain, the solution is rather obvious to anyone. God ordains the clouds to make the rain, and they do!
So when God says, let the Earth bring forth the creatures of their kinds, and God makes these animals, it is the same solution. God ordains the Earth to bring forth these creatures. From the Earth the first creatures of life come into existence!
From the earth the first Kinds rise up. And from them come the other kinds … just as the three kinds of rabbits in North America come from a common ancestral population - - and now we have at least 2 kinds of rabbits where there used to be just one. And probably even a third kind!
The Bible intentionally describes the bringing forth of life in two ways… to show that God used the Earth as God’s “intermediator” … his natural instrument in the creation of these kinds.
This is the “smoking gun” of Genesis… which makes all the rest fit together into a harmonious whole!